1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to plasma coatings and methods of making the same.
2. Background Art
Plasma coatings are used for modifying surface characteristics of a material to control surface energy of the material for promoting bonding, creating lubricity, providing corrosion protection, and/or improving scratch resistance.
Plasma coatings such as those formed through an atmospheric pressure air plasma (APAP) may be applied through an in-line process with higher deposition rates and at appreciably shorter cycle times. Since APAP coatings are deposited in an air atmosphere, the type and/or the chemistry of monomers that are suitable for use in an APAP coating process may be limited.
Moreover, uncontrolled over-spray associated with plasma coating processes may be problematic for many coating applications. Often generated through a penumbra of an APAP plasma, an over-spray of an air plasma may affect coating homogeneity in an undesirable fashion. For example, an uncontrolled over-spray may induce random formation of multiple coating layers with uncontrolled chemical content and hence an undesirable heterogeneous composition.